Rebecca Rusch

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Rebecca Rusch wasn’t thinking about world championships when she joined the Downers Grove North High School cross-country team. “I just wanted the free track suit,” recalls Rusch, who, 28 years later, finds herself among the ranks of the world’s elite endurance athletes. In July of 2009, Rusch won her third straight mountain biking 24-hour Solo World Championship.

Since donning those gray cotton sweats and Lycra shorts, Rusch has outfitted herself in the kit of numerous other disciplines: racking up ascents of big walls from Yosemite to Zion, paddling on the world-famous Offshore Canoe Club’s women’s outrigger team in the brutal Molokai crossing and winning adventure races around the world.

When not training in one of the five mountain ranges surrounding her hometown of Ketchum, Idaho, the 41-year-old known as the “Queen of Pain” can be found chasing adrenaline from Tibet to New Zealand to Kyrgyzstan, constantly adding titles to her impressive and extensive resume.

In addition to those three 24-hour solo mountain bike World Champion rainbow jerseys, Rusch is a three-time national champion in 24-hour team mountain biking. She’s Idaho’s Short Track state championship (twice), and its Cyclocross state title. An accomplished Nordic skier, she’s won the Masters Cross Country Skiing World Championship, in addition to taking the top prize at Raid Gauloises Adventure Racing World Championships. And although that’s just cross-section of her palmares, it’s easy to see why Rusch has been profiled by Sports Illustrated, Outside Magazine and Adventure Sport Magazine.

Talking about age draws a laugh as she gestures at her surroundings. "People around here are all 10 years younger than they actually are. And I don’t mean they just look it; they are actually 10 years younger," she said. "Everyone’s out there constantly doing stuff, from biking to skiing to hiking. There’s a collective mentality that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it."

This mentality, along with what she calls "perfect terrain for training," provides a home base for the typically itinerant Rusch. She is part of the community; for more than two years she has been a stalwart volunteer emergency medical technician and firefighter for the Ketchum Fire Department, and a homeowner. On breaks from her race schedule, she works on her condominium, though the domestic idea continues to bemuse her; the last home she owned was a 1975 Ford Bronco.

I finally returned....

February 18, 2010

I finally returned from a month long training and racing camp in the lakes district of Patagonian Argentina and Chile. This is my first winter cycling excursion in this part of the world and it has been a fantastic way to get in some early season riding and connect with the ultra friendly and cycling fanatic community down here. I have honestly never felt so welcome in a foreign place and have never experienced such varied riding in such a condensed area. The scenery is a mix of Lake Tahoe and Yosemite Valley all wrapped into one. I was also semi-adopted by a wonderful Argentina family who loves to ride, ski and be outside every day. It's quite a paradise. It was also great to take a trip down memory lane since I was in this area for the 1999 Eco Challenge and the 2004 Raid Gauloises. Both were amazing experiences climbing volcanos, paddling and trekking. Now, being here for mountain biking is like coming back to a familiar place, but seeing it all in a new way.

I completed the Trans Andes Challenge with a Kiwi racer, Jenny Smith. It was 6 days of long and very adventurous riding. We won the women's division and finished well in the overall rankings. If you want to read our daily race reports and see more pictures from our race, click here: http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/trans-andes-challenge-rebecca-rusch-and-jennifer-smith

Next up was the Tour de la Patagonia (http://www.tourdelapatagonia.com/EN/programa_EN.html), a three day stage race in the San Martin de los Andes area. I raced with Heidi Volpe, a fellow racer and journalist. She was there with her husband and professional photographer, Michael Darter. I had 10 days to recover from Trans Andes and tour around the local mountain bike trails with some great new friends. I was treated like family here and am already planning ways that I can get back here next winter. It has been the perfect training camp, but also a great vacation. You can check out results from the tour here: http://singletrack.competitor.com/

Immediately following the Tour, I headed back home to Idaho and dove straight into the first showing of my Mountain Town Movie Tour with the Leadville Trail 100 film. It's the first mountain bike film I've ever been in and also the first film tour I have ever organized. I'll be hitting five Rocky Mountain towns and hosting a party, film and raffle in each town. The best part is that the whole tour is a fundraiser for International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), so I'll be helping support trail advocacy in the areas where I bring the film.

For a movie trailer on these events, click here: http://iamspecialized.com/xc-mtb/video/rebecca-rusch-race-across-the-sky-screening-tour

If you want to donate product or support the Mountain Town Movie Tour in any way, please let me know.

Thanks!

Rebecca

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